For years now, parents and students have been asking for a new school to be built to replace Holt High School, only to be ignored. It's the oldest school in the county, it's been falling apart for several decades, and yet the county school board claims it was never an issue (even though they knew the extent of it's decay) because no one ever made it an issue. So it would seem as though the school board has been sweeping them under the rug...and speaking from experience with them, it wouldn't be the first time!!! They sure have a tendency to pass things off as unimportant even when the issue is being pressed. I went to Holt High School and I can remember how depressing it was to go there because everything was falling apart and that was almost 16 yrs ago. It was in bad shape even before then. The way they repaired things around there was as if they kept trying to put Band-Aids over boo-boos that needed stitches or a tourniquet. It took a home improvement show to help fix the band room. That was awesome but what about the rest of the school? I can remember exposed wires, exposed pipes with insulation falling off of them, freezing and flooding in basement classrooms, and lack of teaching and/or caring by many teachers. I personally would LOVE to see that place destroyed and something MUCH more welcoming and educationally productive put in its place! It's well overdue!

Same here. I went to Holt High. From the pictures on their FB page, it doesn't look like much of anything has changed since my tenure. It saddens me that the County Education Board would allow this area to remain neglected for so long. I'd love to sign the petition, though since I don't live in the area my vote wouldn't count. Can I get a proxy?

Whether one believes in a religion or not,and whether one believes in rebirth or not, there isn't anyone who doesn't appreciate kindness and compassion. ~ Dalai Lama

bamapilot wrote:A lot of talk over the last few years from some folks wanting Holt to incorporate. Could that be some of the reason the Board has hesitated? Or would it have mattered?

I don't think it should matter but maybe if they had someone to represent the community, it might help. But it's not like they couldn't clearly see all the problems that the school has had over the past 20+ years. The roof leaked all the time, the gym basement/classrooms would flood, the showers in the locker rooms didn't work, A/C and heat barely worked, and the bleachers were crumbling...just to name a few. The teachers there have given up...they gave up when I was there. Many of them didn't teach anything but would write examples on the board and hand us a worksheet. No questions were allowed! I wonder how well that works for their graduation rate...probably not well since they are one of the most underperforming schools in this county. Luckily I graduated! It's a shame that the BOE thinks that because no one ever cared to bring it up before that they could think "out of sight, out of mind" when it came to a whole school!! The BOE has failed MANY people and it's only going to continue until someone speaks up and does something about it.

On a long enough time line, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero.

Holt has the highest percentage of minority students of any school in the county, the rich folks on the school board only care about building new schools for their kids like on the south side of town. The same people that are actively blocking the new road project through that part off town which would mean better jobs and more business are the same people that are responsible for this too.

Bamauofa wrote:Holt has the highest percentage of minority students of any school in the county, the rich folks on the school board only care about building new schools for their kids like on the south side of town. The same people that are actively blocking the new road project through that part off town which would mean better jobs and more business are the same people that are responsible for this too.

UA grunt wrote:Moving this back to the top. Some of the comments made are right on target, but to slam the teachers or to call HHS the white trash school is hurtful on multiple levels.

I know from PERSONAL experience exactly how a lot of teachers "taught" class. Not all of them but there were quite a few! I had a teacher tell me the first day of class she didn't want me in her classroom even though she signed my schedule card the year before to put me into her advanced social studies class! Have you ever been kicked out of the counselor's office because you weren't one of the popular kids?? I have! Have you ever had your school records checked because you "looked like a delinquent"? I have and they came up empty handed! Have you ever had teachers lie and say you hadn't done your homework or other assignments (even when you had made copies to prove you had done it) because they didn't like you and gave you a failing grade? My best friend's sister had this done to her! They moved and she now goes to Spain Park where she is passing with FLYING COLORS!! Yes, all of these things went on at HOLT. If you weren't a football player or a cheerleader, you were shunned!! You had to find certain teachers that were willing to listen and stand up for you.And no, I'm not complaining. I'm just stating the facts! And just because I had multiple things like this done to me doesn't mean I was the only one! And yes, there were some really awesome teachers there. I hate that I, and several others got the short end of the stick but to think that these sorts of things DON'T happen is just turning a blind eye to reality. Sadly, it goes on in a lot of schools. Do you want to hear the horror stories my son went through in KINDERGARTEN and how the principal kept standing up for the teacher even after she laid hands on my child MORE THAN ONCE?!?! I could gather a whole group of parents that would testify to that sort of stuff and WORSE happening to their kids too! It's all about protecting the teachers' jobs even if they shouldn't be anywhere around children!

On a long enough time line, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero.